Almost every successful housewares
product — from modern day winners
like the Total Pillow to classics like the
George Foreman Grill — makes its way
to retail eventually, and that can be
especially rewarding when tapping into
the sometimes-underappreciated value of
independent retailers, Reynolds says.

“There’s a strength retailers have inthe housewares business and that’s a bigpositive for innovators and for peopleDirect and Response Editorial AdvisoryBoard member. “Given these low mar-gins, building any consumer value forthemselves and getting people to say thattheir product is unique because of vari-ous advantages is almost impossible withnearly nonexistent ad budgets.”Garnett believes this is where directresponse television could serve the house-wares industry best. Long-form could beespecially useful in portraying just how in-novative the industry really is, he says.

Through conception Through development Through promotion Through protection Through success

Hampton Direct Inc.’s Total Pillow — a
direct response television hit in the
housewares space — continues to see
success on retail shelves around the U.S.

who are looking to try new concepts,”Reynolds says. “In particular, there areindependent retailers that are more will-ing to try new products vs. the larger onesthat have to feel more comfortable withinnovations.”The need for retail within housewaresmarketing can’t be ignored, but it doesprovide its own challenges for brands.Though there’s a clear benefit to havingyour product on retail shelves, it usuallyrequires a lower price point to ensure ahigher level of sales.

“Housewares can be a tough business
right now. Even the biggest brands are
operating on a lower margin,” says Doug
Garnett, president and CEO of Atomic

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